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From: mclarke@ac.dal.ca
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Religion
Message-ID: <Oct.22.02.05.27.1990.19950@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 22 Oct 90 06:05:28 GMT
Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu
Lines: 57
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu

After having posted the following, I see a need to clarify my point.


Time and progress march on ... Technology advances and society is adjusting
to the new technologies and incorporating it.

...We take gradual change in our lives for granted and tend to accept
incremental changes without question.  If this is not handled now there
will be little time to react when it takes effect.

There are two evolving technologies which will gradually change the 
way society makes day to day choices.  They are artificial intelligence
and parallel processing.  Essentailly this means that within about 20 years
computer technology should be able to emulate the human reasoning process..

...Texas Instruments, among others claim that "quantum chips" are soon
to be a reality and expect production near the year 2000. (Scientific
American, Quantum Chips).  Since there is about a ten year lag time
between introduction and full application of a technology that plants
us around the year 2010 for implementation.  The massive change in size of 
chips and potential sophistication suggests that parallel processors
may be available near that time which approach the human mind in reasoning
for restricted applications.

...Artificial Intelligence software (Expert Systems) which attempts to emulate
the human reasoning process is now restricted by the current power of
computer equipment.  Even Cray supercomputers are becomming restrictive
in large AI or Expert applications.  When the new chip technology becomes 
available a Cray could fit in a desktop computer.  It is not inconcievable
that companies like Cray, IBM, Etc. will have extremely powerful applications
of quantum chips in new supercomputers which can provide a suitable
platform for AI applications.

When the technologies mature, corporate and government choices can be made by 
computers.  They will be more efficient, faster, more accurate and much
cheaper.  Professional jobs will be done by computer.  This includes 
medical, legal, etc. positions.

...Many qualitative choices wiil be made by computer.  For example,
medical diagnosis (already a reality), traffic court judgements.

The question is " WHO is going to teach the computers human values, morals,
etc."  Christian bodies had better start investing $$$ in research now to
avoid future crisis.

...You can teach a human being values but who will be responsible for
creating a set of values for computer judgements?  Should the Church not
become an advocate for creating a worldwide "standard"?

...I am not looking for "soft dollars".  I don't want to see a crisis
in society that could have been prevented by persons more "expert" 
(no pun intended) than I.

Michael Clarke
Halifax, N.S.

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